Under Pressure to Perform: How Social Cues in Academia Shape Perfectionism Among Early-Career Scholars

Perfectionism is increasingly recognized as a socially driven psychological experience shaped by workplace environments. Drawing on and extending the dual-cycle model of perfectionism developed by Goodwin et al. (2025), this qualitative study investigates how social cues within academia influence the development of maladaptive and adaptive perfectionism among early-career scholars. Based on in-depth interviews with 42 participants, including PhD students, postdoctoral fellows, and assistant professors across research-intensive universities in the Pakistan, we identify performance pressure, organizational dehumanization, and rehumanization as key contextual mechanisms. Our findings reveal that dehumanizing environments, marked by the denial of fallibility, agency, subjectivity, and individuality, activate cycles of maladaptive perfectionism characterized by self-criticism, shame, and overwork. In contrast, rehumanizing social cues, such as empathy, recognition, and affirmation of uniqueness, support adaptive perfectionism driven by intrinsic motivation and self-compassion. This study expands the understanding of perfectionism beyond individual traits, offering a relational framework for how academic cultures shape striving. We contribute to the literature by demonstrating how subtle organizational dynamics mediate psychological outcomes and highlight the transformative potential of rehumanizing academic institutions. Implications for leadership, mentoring, and structural reform are discussed.